01x04 - Magical Research Begins in Earnest

[bunniefuu]

[birds chirping]

[fire crackling]

[fire roars]

Will this do the trick, Shion?

Yes.

Thanks for your help, Father.

[MARIE]

What exactly is your plan?

[SHION]

Nothing major,

just a little experimentation

using gathered magic.

Hmm

♪

Ah!

My arm is totally on fire!

-[GAWAIN] Shion!

-I wasn’t expecting

-to become a human candle!

-[water splashes]

[groans]

Bad!

No more roasting!

Really?!

You could've burned yourself.

But it doesn't look like

he's burned at all.

[sighs]

Don't worry.

I'm okay and now I get it.

I've been researching

what happens

when a magic user runs into

high levels of magical energy.

Going up against that goblin

gave me good information,

but I had to know.

What happens

when magical energy

meets natural phenomena?

That's what

we were testing today!

You saw what I saw, right?

First the red flames

turned bright blue,

then they set

my gathered magic on fire.

I believe this response

was a direct result

of contact

with my magical energy!

[GAWAIN]

Interesting.

I can't see the energy itself,

but the impact it has

on the world around you

is evident.

I have no choice

but to believe you.

Thank you.

It's swell you two are

on the same page now,

but I'm still at least

a chapter behind.

Hey! Experiments

aren't for everybody,

and there isn't

anything wrong with that!

It's thanks to your skills

out in the field

I discovered

magical energy at all!

I hadn't really

thought about it like that.

You owe me big time, Brother!

[laughs]

[SHION] Thinking back

to that discovery.

I learned all magic

is about energy transfer.

Could I have picked up

a bit of fire-type magic?

I can finally use Fireball!

I've waited so long.

-Yay.

-My, what a face, Shion.

This happens whenever he makes

any sort of progress

with his magic.

It's kinda creepy,

but harmless.

Ah, so that's it.

I suppose I've never seen

my son's maniacal side.

[SHION]

Even when a plan goes wrong,

there's still

something to be learned.

Not only did I have

hope for my new life,

but joy, too.

[laughs]

-[Gawain gasps]

-[SHION] Starting today,

my real research into magic

officially begins.

Ready to go, Father?

Yes!

I'm here if you need me!

EPISODE 4: MAGICAL

RESEARCH BEGINS IN EARNES

Hah!

[fire roars]

Yup! That's fire!

-Put it out! Now!

-On it!

-Yeah. That's hot!

-[water splashes]

No change in temperature

and the smoke was a dark gray.

The flames were blue.

Let's take

this fire up a notch!

I can help you with that much.

[fire roaring]

Perfect.

Let's see what this will do.

♪

[grunts]

-[water splashes]

-[GAWAIN] Here ya go. -Yup!

It's still hot!

No change in temperature.

The color of the smoke

and flames

didn't fluctuate even a little.

Next.

I'll try using less energy!

[GAWAIN]

If you insist.

-[GAWAIN] More water!

-[SHION] Still hot!

-Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!

-[GAWAIN]I can do this all day!

-[Shion sighs]

-I think you've earned

a quick break.

Dry off and I can bring you

something warm to drink.

Right.

Thanks.

-I appreciate it, Father.

-Wait here.

[chuckles softly]

[sighs]

[ROSE]

You're soaking wet.

-Was that for an experiment?

-Huh?

[SHION]

Hi, Rose.

[fire crackling]

You're playing with fire?

No.

I was testing.

I'd show you but Father says

I can't do it without him here.

Does that mean

you've finally told

Lord Gawain

the truth about magic?

Yup.

He even volunteered

to help me out

with my research.

It's funny but he's almost

as eager as I am.

How nice.

I had a feeling Lord Gawain

would be understanding.

Yeah.

Also,

thanks a lot for the other day.

Huh?

Thanks for what exactly?

[SHION]

After I defeated that goblin,

you made sure I was okay.

You helped calm me back down.

It was so nice.

There's really nothing you need

to be grateful for, Shion.

After what happened, I should

be the one thanking you.

Without your bravery

and strength,

none of us would've

made it out of there alive.

Hmm.

Oh, please.

Hey, is your sister around?

She must be dreadfully busy

if she isn't here

glued to your side.

-Huh?

-[Marie grunts]

[SHION]

Well

[grunting]

[panting]

I imagine the incident

with the goblin

has her all riled up.

Maybe.

She'll be back to

her old self soon enough.

Sure,

but if you ever get the chance,

-show her you're on her side.

-Uh?

I suspect our Marie

could use some reassurance.

[SHION]

Right.

[Marie sighs]

Hmm.

[growling]

[whimpering]

Uh.

[gasps]

[grunting]

[screams]

[grunts]

Let's review everything

we've learned

about magic and energy

on this eventful day!

Lesson number one!

The more magic you gather,

the more your hand radiates!

Hold it over the fire

and it's still hot!

The amount of energy

that you expend

[water splashes]

is directly correlated

to the power of magic

you'll be able to use.

Lesson number two!

I've tested

a few more heat sources

besides our trusty open flame,

and as long as

they get hot enough,

they can set

the energy on fire, too!

[water splashes]

Now lesson three!

If I touch it

while in a charged state,

the fire will spread as normal.

It'll stay red

and burn me to a crisp!

[blows air]

Last but not least!

Even if your hand

is covered in clothing,

like a mitten or glove,

you can still

gather magic through it.

In this covered state,

the blue fire

will still spread,

-but your glove is toast!

-[water splashes]

I can confidently conclude

that magical energy behaves

like a flammable substance.

For now, that just means

it's super dangerous

without any real practical use.

Sure,

and while

it's a worthy experiment,

it seems our goal

of manipulating fire

is much further out of reach

than we first thought.

Agreed.

Right now, the fire

is the one manipulating me.

The magical energy's

flammability might be useful

if I could make orbs

like the trout.

[sighs]

[MARIE]

I can make those thingies.

Uh.

♪

-You see?

-Huh?

[screams]

Calm down!

I only know how magic works

because you told me

how to use it!

You figured it out too,

right, Rose?

Indeed. I assumed

you had mastered this skill,

so I didn't tell you.

That's why you never assume.

[exhales]

What do I do once I get here?

Steady!

I know you can do it, Shion!

Just imagine drawing the energy

right out of your palm.

Huh. So,

instead of channeling, I draw.

[liquid drips]

♪

That makes sense!

I don't have to release

all my energy in one go!

[gasps]

[ALL]

Huh!

I did it!

-Yay!

-Yay!

Oh! Lovely.

[fire crackling]

Don't need a fire this time?

I had another idea

that I wanted to try.

What are you gonna do

with a fire striker?

♪

[ALL]

Huh?

♪

[all gasp]

Shion!

That was magic!

Even I could tell you that!

Genius!

I never would've thought

to send energy through a tool!

Our orbs can do that?

I had no idea!

[SHION] I did it!

I finally did it!

It wasn't very impressive,

but I'm still getting started!

I've been waiting for this

for over thirty years.

I can use magic

just like I've always dreamed!

[laughs]

That was pretty neat, huh?

Just wait.

-There more where that came

-Uh, it's going to take time

to get used to that face.

Congratulations, Shion.

Your magic is truly

well-earned!

[laughs]

Meet fire-type magic!

I've decided to call

this particular spell,

"Flare!"

It's still in

the testing phase,

so it'll be a good minute

before I try it out

on the b*ttlefield.

It's been a month

since the goblin attack.

Everyone's enjoying

the changing seasons.

[eagle screeching]

[Shion panting]

[groans]

In order to sh**t Flare,

I have to project my full will

on my magical energy

to get it to move.

Every subsequent time I try

to order my energy anywhere,

the amount I can release drops.

Ugh.

It's brutal.

There must be more to consider.

-[Marie grunting]

-Huh?

[grunting]

Again?

[grunting]

[whimpering]

[GAWAIN]

Hmm.

[groans]

[gasps]

My dear.

I really think

we should call it for the day.

I feel fine, Father!

You told me

training as much as I could

would make me strong,

so that's what I'm gonna do!

Noble,

but we must

acknowledge our limits.

I'd listen to Father

if I were you, Marie.

It's okay to take a break.

[Marie grunts]

[grunts]

[grunting]

[gasps]

Stop!

Uh?

[birds chirping]

[growls]

[shudders]

[gasps]

[MARIE]

I'm sure you're both right.

If you insist, Shion,

then I'm done.

Uh

Hmm.

-Uh.

-Huh?

[footsteps receding]

Marie.

Try not to worry.

Your sister has just been

a bit on edge as of late.

Mm-hmm.

♪

[birds chirping]

Come again?

What's electricity?

Well, uh,

it's kind of like lightning

that comes whenever it storms.

I was wondering

if you've heard about

any plants or animals able

to generate something similar.

Have you?

[GAWAIN]

Mmm.

[SHION] My flame magic

research stalled,

so I set it aside.

I'm not going

to get bogged down

when there's so much

left to learn.

For my next topic.

I'll be researching

lightning magic!

Magic responded to fire,

so it seems logical

it'll respond

to electricity, too!

But alas

Uh

No.

Yeah.

I had a feeling.

[SHION]

That'd make it too easy.

So, it's like lightning.

That reminds me

of something Grast mentioned.

A natural phenomenon

that was similar,

although I don't believe

it was as powerful.

Huh. That could

still be interesting.

Then we'll go to Grast!

He'll tell us more.

Well, son. Are you ready

to head to Istria?

Yes, sir!

You guys can go on without me.

I'm perfectly happy

staying home,

I have lots to do around here.

-Really? Why?

-I'm a busy girl,

but I'll try to make it

on your next trip, okay?

Uh-huh.

You do know that I still

Take your time!

And have fun!

[door shuts]

[gasps]

♪

[groans]

Huh.

[indistinct chatter]

Easy, the thing

you're talking about

is called lightning ore.

Lightning ore?

We were wondering

if you had any on hand

or if you could tell us

where to procure some.

[GRAST]

It's not that simple, fellas.

Why not?

Is it rare?

Oh, no.

As long as you have permission,

you can get it

from any mining site.

[GAWAIN]

Then why?

Not many folks

are willing to mine it.

The stuff is dangerous.

Most people tend

to leave it alone.

It's just too risky to move it.

That's too bad.

[SHION] Lightning ore must be

some sort of mineral

that discharges electricity.

I'd expect nothing less!

But how do you transport

something like that?

[GRAST]

Huh?

Hm?

Mister Grast?

Are you familiar

with any trees in the area

that produce a sticky,

white sap?

I'm pretty sure they have

a rather peculiar smell.

No.

I don't know a tree like that.

[SHION]

Guess rubber trees are out.

The only other insulator

I can think of is glass.

Problem is, I don't know

how strong it would need to be.

Do you have mica?

You may call it isinglass.

It's a very delicate

type of material,

and its structure

is very distinct.

It's made of layers

you can peel apart.

They're transparent

to translucent

and should look

sort of like crystals.

It sounds to me like you want

some paper crystal.

You wait right here.

[footsteps receding]

It's pretty and has

an interesting shape to it,

so I held on to some.

It's useless,

but nice to look at.

Ah!

Is it all right

if I touch your sample?

Sure, go ahead, little guy.

[SHION]

If isinglass is used

in sheets

of electrical insulation,

maybe this paper crystal

can be, too.

If only I knew

how to process it.

What's going on in your head?

Try as I may, I'll never

understand how kids think.

[GAWAIN]

You'll understand my son.

-Hm?

-I've recently discovered

that he spends most of his time

thinking like an adult.

-[GRAST] Huh?

-Hm.

Hey, Mister Grast,

do you have

any larger specimens

of paper crystal for sale?

No, but if you go

to the trade district,

you should be able to find

as much of the stuff

as you want.

A piece this big

will put you back

about 4,000 rilm.

[SHION]

In this world,

that much money

could buy our family

dinner at a nice restaurant.

[GAWAIN]

Trade district awaits!

Are you sure?

You'll buy it for me?

It's important you have it

for research, yes?

But it's really expensive.

Children shouldn't

have to worry about

what things cost.

Besides,

this is the very first time

you've ever asked me

for something.

Perhaps this will help you

put a bit more faith

in your old man.

If a want

is out of the question,

I'll be first to tell you.

But if something

is within reason,

you shouldn't

have to go without.

Father.

Good grief.

I never took you

for such a sweetheart.

[Grast chuckles softly]

[electricity crackling]

[electricity crackling]

Stay on guard

in case I need help.

Right.

I'm excited to watch!

I've heard so much

about your research.

I wonder

where Marie ran off to,

I know she would hate

to miss this.

♪

[SHION]

If my reasoning is correct.

♪

Hmm.

[electricity crackling]

-[gasps]

-Uh.

[electricity crackling]

[sighs]

Is it over?

[electricity crackling]

-Huh. It's fine,

-Huh.

failure is a natural part

of any growth.

Think about how many times

I had to drench you in water

before you were

able to use fire magic.

Keep your chin up.

[laughs]

-Huh?

-Oh, my.

I didn't fail, Father.

I unlocked a new skill!

I've never seen our baby

so happy before!

That look on his face

is too cute!

Huh, is it really?

[laughing]

When the gathered magic

got close to the ore,

it didn't catch on fire.

Instead, it blasted out

a wave of sparks.

This is proof that

magical energy possesses

all sorts of qualities

besides just being flammable.

This is my theory.

The energy mimics

the phenomenon it contacts,

after it takes the form,

it amplifies

the phenomenon's effects.

Which means

the possibilities are endless!

With some more research

and the right resources,

I can bend magic to my will!

[laughs]

[sighs]

But there's a hurdle.

I still need to figure out

how to convert magical energy

into an electric current

so I can sh**t it from my hand

as a shockwave.

The energy I released

was immediately

repelled on contact.

I'm not sure

how to work around that.

What I am sure of is that

I want to be able

to use magic more freely.

Lightning magic.

Lightning

[sighs]

I'm afraid I'm missing

something extremely basic.

First make the ball,

then

The ball.

[gasps]

That's it!

Of course!

There's no rule saying

my energy has to take

the shape of sphere!

♪

[whimpering]

Huh.

A cube!

Right!

It's exactly

like I pictured in my mind!

[SHION]

Oh.

I was too focused on recreating

the orbs the trout made.

I have to give

my imagination free rein.

Creativity is the name

of the game.

With that in mind.

My magic can do anything.

[door opens]

I've made a huge discovery,

Marie!

[gasps]

Uh.

Uh-oh.

Where is she?

[wind gusting]

Sis?

[gasps]

[grunting]

[snaps]

[gasps]

[clatters]

Marie!

Hm?

Uh.

[footsteps approaching]

[gasps]

You okay?

I'd listen to Father

if I were you, Marie.

-Uh!

-Sure,

but if you ever get the chance,

show her you're on her side.

I suspect our Marie

could use some reassurance.

Hm.

[gasps]

[MARIE] Shion?

Why are you here?

Sorry.

When I make magic,

you do a great job

of cheering me on,

and I haven't done

the same for you.

I was even arrogant

enough to think

I could give you advice

about taking a break.

I wasn't being

a good ally to you.

[MARIE]

Your advice didn't bother me.

Huh?

Really?

I mean,

it did catch me off guard.

I figured you'd be

on my side like usual,

but I know you were

just trying to help me.

[stick clatters]

The truth is

I've been feeling

jealous of you.

How so?

As the older sister,

it's my duty

to protect the little brother.

That's why I work

so hard on my training.

I want to support you

in every way I can.

That day

I was completely useless.

I couldn't even support myself.

If you hadn't saved me,

that goblin would've

taken my life.

I'm happy to be alive, but

I'm angry with myself for

not being able to do anything.

I was supposed to protect you,

but you protected me instead,

and I hated that.

Does that mean you hate me?

Absolutely not!

You're my only sibling

in the whole world!

I love you, now and forever!

If I hate anyone,

I hate myself.

If I've been acting strange

it's because I'm jealous.

You're strong and I'm weak.

You see?

All the training,

it's because I need

to be more confident

if I want to be brave.

Marie.

You are brave.

I guess.

But every time

I look at you now,

I remember being a big coward.

Sorry.

I wish I could just

get over it already.

[weeping]

Now I've made you worry.

I promise I'll be fine.

[gasps]

Huh?

Shion?

[SHION] It's my job

as your brother to see you,

and I couldn't see

how you were feeling at all.

I should've.

Sorry.

Forgive me.

Sister.

It's me who should be sorry.

I've been acting weird.

I know.

It's not your fault.

[crying]

It's all okay now,

but if something like this

ever comes up again,

just tell me what it is,

and I'll help you.

[MARIE]

Mm-hmm.

[Marie crying]

[SHION] The young, the old,

we're all the same.

Just fighting to survive.

From my first day

in this strange, new world,

that has been clear.